SCOTS scientists have developed a new method of packaging food which will make it safer for consumers and increase shelf-life.
Dr Declan Diver and Dr Hugh Potts, of Glasgow University's School of Physics and Astronomy, have prototyped a system to rapidly, safely and temporarily turn some of the oxygen inside the sealed packaging into ozone, a very effective germicide.
The product's effectiveness as a germ-killer also extends food's shelf-life by at least one extra day, which could go a long way to cutting down on the seven million tonnes of food discarded in the UK each year.
The product is being brought to market by a university spin-out company called Anacail, which means "shield", "preserve" or "protect" in Gaelic.
The efficacy of Anacail's prototype has been proven at leading UK test labs. Tests have shown an increase in shelf-life for products including bread and muffins, and a significant reduction of many pathogens in poultry including campylobacter, pseudomonas, and E.coli.
Anacail chief executive officer Dr Ian Muirhead said: "Our product is safe and easy to use, doesn't require any change in current packaging of food products to be effective, and it doesn't require any chemical additives – the sterilisation effect comes directly from oxygen via our plasma head."
The system works when plasma generated by a retractable device held briefly against the surface of plastic or glass packaging splits the bonds between oxygen molecules inside the packaging and reforms them as ozone.
The ozone naturally converts back into its original dioxygen state after just a couple of hours – more than enough time for any mould, fungi or bacteria on the packaging's contents to be destroyed without adversely affecting its taste.
Anacail was founded in January 2011 and has raised £750,000 of seed funding from leading technology commercialisation company, IP Group, and the Scottish Investment Bank.
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